not all. Of the total LE2,354,354
only LE996,223 can be accounted as military expenditure. For the
remaining LE1,358,131 Egypt possesses 500 miles of railway, 900 miles of
telegraph, and a flotilla of steamers. The railway will not, indeed, pay
a great return upon the capital invested, but it will immediately pay
something, and may ultimately pay much. The telegraph is as necessary as
the railway to the development of the country; it costs far less, and,
when the Egyptian system is connected with the South African, it will
be a sure source of revenue. Lastly, there are the gunboats. The reader
cannot have any doubts as to the value of these vessels during the
war. Never was money better spent on military plant. Now that the
river operations are over the gunboats discharge the duties of ordinary
steamers; and although they are, of course, expensive machines for goods
and passenger traffic, they are by no means inefficient. The movement of
the troops, their extra pay, the supplies at the end of a long line of
communications, the ammunition, the loss by wear and tear of uniforms
and accoutrements, the correspondence, the rewards, all cost together
less than a million sterling; and for that million Egypt has recovered
the Soudan.

The whole LE2,354,354 had, however, to be paid during the campaigns.
Towards this sum Great Britain advanced, as has been related, L800,000
as a loan; and this was subsequently converted into a gift. The cost to
the British taxpayer of the recovery and part acquisition of the Soudan,
of the military prestige, and of the indulgence of the sentiment known
as 'the avenging of Gordon' has therefore been L800,000; and it may
be stated in all seriousness that English history does not record
any instance of so great a national satisfaction being more cheaply
obtained. The rest of the money has been provided by Egypt; and this
strange country, seeming to resemble the camel, on which so much of her
wealth depends, has, in default of the usual sources of supply, drawn
upon some fifth stomach for nourishment, and, to the perplexity even of
those best acquainted with her amazing financial constitution, has stood
the strain.

'The extraordinary expenditure in connection with the Soudan campaign,'
wrote Mr. J.L. Gorst, the Financial Adviser to the Khedive in his Note
of December 20, 1898 [Note by the Financial Adviser on the Budget of
1899: EGYPT, No. 3, 1899], 'has been charged to the Special Reserve
Fund.